


‘Cause That’s The Way Things Happen on The Polar Express!

by Denizen_of_Dreamland



Category: Persona 5, Polar Express - All Media Types
Genre: Aged Down Characters, Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - The Polar Express Fusion, Childhood Friends, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28327236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denizen_of_Dreamland/pseuds/Denizen_of_Dreamland
Summary: The Polar Express was a train unlike any other. It was a train that only a select group of people knew about, one that only travelled on Christmas Eve, one where the extraordinary became commonplace, and the only way to make the impossible trip to the North Pole possible.It was a train where children’s dreams could come true for a single night, before they were dropped off at their homes, left alone to wonder if the entire trip had been real in the first place. And, above all, it was a train that Takuto held dear to his heart because it was the place where he first met the two people he would be glad to call his dearest friends for the rest of his life.(A retelling of the Polar Express but with Maruki, Rumi, and Shibusawa as the main characters. No prior knowledge is required -- in fact, this might be better if you haven’t watched the movie)
Relationships: Maruki Takuto & Rumi & Shibusawa
Kudos: 4





	‘Cause That’s The Way Things Happen on The Polar Express!

Takuto had been a firm believer in Santa Claus and the magic of Christmas ever since he could remember. He was proud of it, too, despite the teasing it warranted from both classmates and family members. But, even then, he had barely been able to believe his eyes when, late at night on December 24th, he was woken up by an ear-splitting whistle and the chugging sound of approaching engines, followed by a screech that indicated that a whole train had come to a halt right by his house.

The curiosity easily won him over, as he slid on his slippers and rushed down the stairs, running out of his house and into the cold winter night. He was greeted by an old long-nosed man in a suit, who introduced himself as the conductor, and he was welcomed aboard after a kind, but very cryptic, welcome speech.

The Polar Express was nothing short of a dream come true. The interior was deep blue -- even the seats were draped in blue velvet -- there was some opera playing as background music, and the wagon that the conductor had led Takuto to was filled with children of about his age, chatting, singing, and fooling around. He was so awe-struck at the sight, fascinated by the sheer joy that the atmosphere exuded, that it was only when he was comfortable in his seat when he started to consider the scary implications of getting on some random train full of strangers without his parents’ permission.

However, he didn’t have time for regrets, as he was snapped out of his thoughts by the girl sitting next to him, a redhead with a bright smile, a sweet voice, and a cheerful disposition. She shook his hand, telling him he could call her Rumi, and informed him that they were heading towards the North Pole to see Santa, while she practically bounced on her seat out of excitement. Even though Takuto was shy around other people, Rumi was gentle, she was understanding, and her enthusiasm was infectious, so her attitude made him want to open up to her and share in her excitement.

The two of them hit it off pretty well. Rumi told Takuto all about her family’s holiday traditions, while he listened intently, and, once he felt more at ease, he began asking questions that she was happy to answer, before telling her about his own family’s traditions. Eventually, they started speculating about the nature of the North Pole, talking about the expectations they had for Santa and his village, and fantasizing about what it would be like to see his workshop and his sleigh from up close. Though they could both be awkward at times, the conversation flowed nicely and, the more time passed, the more Takuto felt that he wanted to get to know her better.

She wasn’t the only friend that Takuto made during the trip, however. There was also Shibusawa, an effortlessly cool boy with black hair who shook his head with no hesitation as soon as the conductor offered him a ride on the Polar Express. Apparently, he had been warned about stranger danger, so he rejected the invitation with full confidence, a decision that the conductor respected. Rumi and Takuto watched the exchange through the window, but they couldn’t hear a word of what they were saying, and they were shocked when they saw the kid staying behind.

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Takuto muttered to himself. “He’ll miss out on visiting Santa-san…!”

“Hey! Is everything okay?” Rumi called out, flinging her arm out the window and waving at the boy. “Don’t you want to come with us to see Santa-san?”

Even from where they were standing, Rumi and Takuto could see Shibusawa’s eyes widening. “Santa-san?!”

“Uh huh, we’re going to the North Pole!” Takuto said. “Don’t miss the chance, come with us! Whoa--!”

A sudden lurch interrupted Takuto, who tripped on his own feet, but Rumi caught him and helped him up. The train had started again, and it was picking up speed slowly but surely, while Shibusawa simply stared at it in disbelief, unsure of what to do.

“There’s no time!” Rumi said, voice full of concern. “You have to get on now!”

The boy threw conflicted glances over his shoulders, as if to confirm that he was alone, and then looked towards his house and the train, alternating between both of his options, before his narrowed eyes settled on Rumi and Takuto. He pursed his lips.

He then broke into a sprint.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Rumi cheered him on. “Jump in! You can do it!”

“Come on, come on, come on…!” Takuto pleaded under his breath, before cupping his hands around his mouth and raising his voice at Shibusawa. “You can still make it!”

The train’s pace quickened more and more, but Rumi and Takuto’s encouragement gave the boy enough motivation to increase his speed all at once and hop onto the train, as his hand shot forward to hold onto the handle right outside the door. Once he had regained his balance, he wiped the sweat off his forehead, as unfazed as a movie star on set.

With a relieved sigh, Takuto fell into his seat, melting into the soft velvet, while Rumi clapped giddily. Shibusawa joined them shortly afterwards, looking exhausted but proud of himself.

“You two owe me.” He said. He sat on the seat in front of them, but turned around and placed his arms on the back to look at them. “This ride better be good.”

Rumi laughed. “That’s fair, but I bet you won’t be disappointed.”

After Shibusawa had introduced himself, Rumi asked him about his family’s holiday traditions, which he explained in full detail. He was just as excited about meeting Santa Claus as Rumi and Takuto, even if he didn’t let it show as much, and he said he loved meeting new people, which was why he started calling the two of them his friends from the get-go. He was a bit worried about not making it back home on time for Christmas morning, something that Rumi could sympathize with, but Takuto reassured them that it would all work out, because the conductor had said that time had no meaning in the Polar Express. It  _ was _ a magic train, after all.

Needless to say, none of them were disappointed with the trip. In fact, Takuto could safely say that it has been the ride of his life.

Everything, from the extraordinary landscape outside to the golden ticket that magically appeared in his pocket, Rumi and Shibusawa’s company, and the delicious hot chocolate and the dance number that accompanied, was absolutely amazing. And right when Takuto thought things couldn’t get better, the Polar Express always found a new way to surprise him. It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip, something much more magnificent than any of his wildest fantasies, where he got to create tons of memories that he knew he would keep close to his heart for the rest of his life.

Time flew by, as Takuto chatted with his new friends, sang with the other children, drank hot chocolate, enjoyed the view, admired the northern lights, laughed at Rumi and Shibusawa’s jokes, and, overall, had the most fun he’d had in years. Before he knew it, the conductor announced that they had arrived to the North Pole, which provoked an uproar inside the wagon, as kids rushed to the windows to catch a peek of Santa’s village, chattering, pointing at the quaint buildings outside, marvelling at the ornate decorations, and trying to spot the famous toy making elves they had heard so much about.

However, it turned out that all the elves were gathered in the main plaza awaiting Santa’s departure. The train had to come to a stop because the crowd was so packed that it blocked the rails and even the entire street, but the conductor seemed to have been expecting this, so he calmly instructed the children to step off the train and stand outside in two lines.

That was when Takuto learned the meaning of the phrase “the journey is more important than the destination,” because his heart sunk once he realized that this meant that the trip was coming to a close. He had grown attached to Rumi, Shibusawa, and to the feeling of community that thrived inside the Polar Express, so it was saddening to think that, once the train dropped him off at his house later that night, it would all be gone forever. He would have to go back to his normal life, to his studies, to his lackluster social life, and to his overall unremarkable existence...

He let out a sigh.

“Takuto?” Rumi asked. “Is something wrong?”

She softly took his hand in hers, holding it in reassurance. It was warm and soft, so Takuto briefly looked up at her and forced a smile. He then dipped his head in an attempt to disappear into his night robe, as his gaze drifted back towards the ground.

“Not really…” He muttered. “But I don’t know if I want to see Santa-san.”

“Why?” She smirked. “Have you been naughty this year?”

“A-Ah, no!” He said, shaking his head. “Well, I don’t think so… I hope not. I just don’t want this to be over so soon...”

“Aww, really?” Shibusawa said, wrapping his arm around Takuto’s shoulders. “Me neither, man, me neither… I’m gonna miss you guys.”

Rumi bit her lip and averted her eyes, with a scowl on her face. “Me too...” She said, before she snapped her head back up and added, “But it doesn’t have to be that way!”

“Huh?” Takuto blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, the Polar Express doesn’t have any laws stopping us from seeing each other again, right?” Rumi rolled up her sleeve and slipped a marker out of her pocket, making Takuto marvel at her resourcefulness. “Here, write your names. That way, we’ll never forget about each other, and we’ll be able to find each other again.”

“Great idea!” Shibusawa said. He grabbed the marker and jotted his full name down on Rumi’s arm. “Ha, I feel like a celebrity signing autographs.”

When Shibusawa offered him the marker, Takuto hesitated, but a nod from Rumi gave him the final push he needed to follow their lead. He held Rumi’s wrist for stability, and he moved his other hand slowly, careful not to hurt Rumi or to leave an ugly mark on her skin. He was of the opinion that his handwriting was messy and hard to look at, but he did his best to make it presentable for her, drawing soft curves with short strokes, and he was actually pretty satisfied with the result.

“Nice.” Rumi said, sliding her hand over the two names to confirm that the ink wouldn’t smudge. “From now on, we’re the Polar Express trio.”

She extended her arm forward, with her palm down. Shibusawa caught on immediately, as he placed his hand over hers, saying, “Count me in.”

Takuto joined in as well, and, at Rumi’s signal, they all cheered, shooting their hands upwards and sealing the deal. This caught the attention of one of the train’s attendants, who rushed towards them and gestured emphatically.

“Oh, children, you must not stay behind! Come, come! Off to see Santa Claus~!”

At her command, they looked around and realized that the other children were already on their way to the plaza. They jumped in place and hurried after them, not wanting to be left to their own devices, which made the attendant chuckle as Takuto and his friends pushed their way through the crowd to catch up with the conductor and the rest of the group.

The kids stood near the center of the plaza, where Santa’s magic sleigh was displayed for all to see. There were Christmas lights everywhere, twinkling to the rhythm of the jazzy carols playing over the speakers above, and the flying reindeer, which were strapped to the sleigh, jumped, turned, and almost danced in place, their slim bodies magically lingering in the air before their hooves hit the ground again, one after the other, with a melodious tapping sound. The smell of freshly baked cookies that lingered in the air distracted Takuto from the cold, allowing him to freely gape at the colorful decorations and admire the craftsmanship of Santa’s wooden sleigh. The crowd was overwhelming, what with all the elves and children chattering around him, but Takuto found himself lost in the Christmas cheer, too enticed by the magnificent view and by the comforting feeling of the plaza to worry about anything else.

As the crowd chanted a song about the spirit of the season, the group of elves surrounding the reindeer did their best to calm them down. Meanwhile, another procession of elves showed up, marching one after the other, making their way through the crowd, holding the reindeer’s reins as high as their short arms would let them. The shiny silver bells that hung on the reins rang when the elves shook them by intervals as if to show them off, and the crowd jumped in excitement in response to each chime.

Takuto was instantly enamoured with the bell’s wonderful sound, which was, for certain, the sweetest, most magical, most gorgeous sound that had ever graced his ears. With his eyes fixed on the shiny bells, he could only gape at the wondrous sight, enchanted by the magic that the reins radiated, until a joyous fanfare of trumpets brought his attention back to the building standing right in front of the sleigh. The elves took that as their cue to begin singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town like they were singing their national anthem.

With the last note, the doors of the building flung open, presumably revealing Santa Claus himself, but Takuto couldn’t see him because the elves in front of him had begun to pile up to cheer for Santa, blocking his sight. He got on the tips of his toes, desperately trying to catch a glimpse, but it was no use; it just kept getting worse, even when Rumi and Shibusawa confirmed that they could see Santa, unlike Takuto.

He kept getting more and more upset, his stomach sinking at the thought of having to go back home without having seen Santa Claus, until he spotted a loose bell flying off the reins, falling to the ground, and rolling towards him, miraculously avoiding the elves’ feet. It stopped short of his own feet, gleaming and looking just like new, almost like it was tempting Takuto to grab it and keep it for himself.

He kneeled down and gently took the bell, inspecting his reflection on it. He was still having a hard time believing that he was really there, in the North Pole, only a few meters away from the real Santa...

Somehow, the bell felt like a personal accomplishment. It felt like it was the proof that he had made the right choice to keep believing, despite the doubts that the people around him kept planting in his head, despite the teasing that he received at school for being “the smart kid” who still believed in Santa, and even despite all of the scientific evidence that should’ve disproved his existence.

Takuto might’ve been oblivious, but he wasn’t ignorant. He knew that the mere concept of Santa defied the laws of biology and physics, almost like he consciously rejected the laws of the real world, using his magic to break through the limits of the impossible. It was no wonder why so many kids his age now scoffed at the idea of Santa, because giving up would’ve been much easier than continuing to believe... But Takuto had clung to his faith and it was paying off. Santa Claus was truly here, in the flesh. And Takuto had the opportunity to be here because he had never given up on his beliefs.

Takuto paused.

That was it...! That was the explanation for this whole journey! The Polar Express had brought him here  _ because _ he believed. He had gotten on the Polar Express  _ because _ he had dared to believe. Had he been skeptical, he would’ve refused to get on the train and his beliefs wouldn’t have been reinforced…

Of course. It all made sense now.

Takuto beamed, flinging the bell up in an eureka moment. “I knew it!” He cried. “Santa-san exists because we believe in him!”

Everything fell silent all of a sudden. Takuto was still on the ground, but he could feel everyone’s eyes on him, so he bit his lip, realizing that he had blurted that out more loudly than intended. Swallowing his shame and the sense of dread that the glaring crowd filled him with, he slowly turned around and looked up to see none other than a tall, red-clad man with a long, snow white beard staring down at him.

“What was that you said?” Santa asked, in a deep but gentle tone of voice.

“Oh. Uhm…” Takuto scratched his cheek, as the words struggled to come out. Tense over being the center of attention, he tried to focus only on Santa, and his voice came out in a murmur. “The magic of Christmas is not in the elves, in the sleigh, or in the train… is it? It’s in our hearts.” A small chuckle left Takuto as he looked up at Santa with a glint of wonder in his eyes. “Our hearts power up Christmas! Isn’t that right?”

“Well, aren’t you an inquisitive fellow?” Santa bent down, smiling kindly, and held his gloved hand out to Takuto. “I believe you have something that belongs to me?”

“Ah. Sorry.” Takuto carefully stood up, dusted himself off with one hand, and handed the bell over. “Here you go, sir.”

“Thank you. Now, as for the first Christmas gift of 1996…” Santa also stood up, his eyes surveying the expectant crowd, he motioned towards Takuto with one hand, and, then, he announced, “Let’s have this bright young lad right here.”

Takuto didn’t have time to react as the crowd erupted into cheers and clapping, which made him recoil and step back in shock. All of the kids had turned towards Takuto, smiling at him with a tinge of jealousy in some of their faces, rooting his feet to the ground. Slack-jawed, all he could do was stare blankly, not realizing Santa was already walking towards the sleigh. He struggled to process the words he wasn’t sure he had heard correctly until Rumi placed a hand on his arm, giving him a reassuring smile.

“Wow, Takuto, that’s amazing!” She said. “Congrats!”

Takuto let out a breathless chuckle, only to cut himself off with a yelp when he was shoved onto his back. Instead of the hard fall he expected, he felt his body being held up by a swarm of elves who lifted him off the ground. As they passed him above their heads despite his flailing arms, his racing heart jumped to his throat, threatening to make him puke three times in a row.

He regained control of himself when the elves set him down with a thud, but, being him, he stumbled and fell onto his hands and knees. Taking in a deep breath, but still feeling dizzy, he glanced up, where Santa was holding out his hand (again). He helped the kid up, beckoning to him gently, indicating that he should come sit on his sleigh, while Takuto tried to regain his balance on his wobbly legs.

Once he was nice and comfy, settled on the furnished red seats of Santa’s sleigh, he placed his hand over his chest and breathed in and out of his mouth in an attempt to ground himself. The loud noises all around still rendered him unable to comprehend the fact that he had just crowd surfed, as his head was swimming and he still couldn’t believe what was going on around him.

“My apologies.” Santa said, motioning towards the elves with his head. “They can get quite… rambunctious when excited.”

Takuto sucked in a breath and gave the man a shaky nod. “I-It’s okay.” He mumbled absently. “I understand.”

“Now,” Santa said, leaning forward and propping his head up with his hands. “what would you like for Christmas?”

Takuto briefly squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to tune out the bustle of the crowd. A moment passed, but he didn’t want to keep anyone waiting, so, as soon as he felt a little more comfortable, he looked up at Santa and murmured, “World peace?”

Santa chuckled. “If I could provide such a thing, I would have done so a long time ago.”

Takuto shrugged, with a shy smile on his face. “I guess so.”

So Santa could only provide material goods… That was a little disappointing, but expected, seeing as Takuto kept wishing for world peace, the eradication of poverty and hunger, and everyone’s happiness year after year, but none of those wishes ever came true. At one point, that had almost gotten him to stop believing in Santa altogether…

Takuto gripped the edge of his seat, his eyes drifting towards the reindeer in front of him. The bells jiggled when one of them moved, charming Takuto with their dulcet chime and winning his heart all over again. An idea struck him.

Catching a glimpse of the overwhelming crowd that had, in fact, not disappeared into thin air, he gestured to Santa to lean down so he could whisper his request into his ear. Once he’d done that, Santa sat up, nodding thoughtfully, and hummed.

“Yes. Indeed.” He said. “Hm. Yes, indeed.”

Santa stood up, reached into his pocket to retrieve the silver bell that Takuto had found earlier, and held it up in the air.

“The first gift of Christmas!” He announced, much to the crowd’s delight. He then bent down, handing the present to Takuto. “This bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas. As am I. Just remember… as you very well said it, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart.”

At that moment, the clock tower bells tolled, signalling the arrival of midnight, and Santa quickly wished Takuto a merry Christmas, before the conductor approached them in order to lead him back to the group of children, allowing Santa to take off on time. Takuto slipped the bell into his night robe’s pocket and thought none of it as he returned to the group of children and reunited with Rumi and Shibusawa.

“Are you okay, man?” Shibusawa asked. “That looked anxiety-inducing as heck.”

Takuto gave him a sobering look. “It was. But…” He smiled. “I talked to Santa-san. The real Santa-san.”

“Yeah, you did! I’m kinda jealous.”

“Well, you’ll certainly have something to talk about for years to come.” Rumi returned the smile. “Chosen one.”

The kids witnessed the take-off of Santa’s sleigh and the fireworks show that followed, while the elves broke into song and dance, before the conductor and the attendants started ushering the children back into the train. Takuto stood in line, waiting for his turn to be welcomed back inside with his golden ticket in hand, until he was the only kid still outside.

The conductor took his ticket and masterfully punched holes into it, working so quickly that his hands looked like a single moving blur. Once he was finished, Takuto grabbed the ticket excitedly, slid his hand over it like it was a masterpiece, and saw that the conductor had punched a single word: “COUNSEL”

“You possess a fascinating gift, dearest passenger.” The conductor said. “Use it wisely.”

Takuto grinned and looked back at the ticket, burning the single word into his brain.

The gift of counseling…

“Thanks, sir.” He bowed his head briefly. “I will.”

With that, he climbed back into the Polar Express, where the other kids were waiting for him. They ran towards him as soon as they saw him, ready to ask him about Santa, the sleigh, and the bell, armed with an onslaught of inquiries and curious stares that filled Takuto with anxiety once again. He tried to keep up with everything everyone was telling him, but he couldn’t reply to any of them because they kept throwing questions left and right. They were so overbearing, in fact, that Rumi and Shibusawa practically had to escort him to his seat.

“So, where’s Santa’s gift?”

“Yeah, let us see it!”

Takuto glanced at Rumi and Shibusawa, as if asking for approval, but, even though they weren’t being pushy like the others, they were clearly just as excited, if the glint in their eyes and the smiles on their faces were anything to go by.

“Okay. Here it is.” Takuto said. He slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling for the bell, but his fingers went right through a hole he hadn’t noticed before. “Huh…? It’s not here…?”

As the realization hit him, Takuto sprung out of his seat without a second thought and pushed the other children aside, rushing down the aisle. “Wait, don’t start the train!”

Despite his pleas, the train lurched forward, throwing him onto his rear. He looked outside with disillusioned eyes, witnessing how the train began to pick up speed, leaving the North Pole behind, but then he spotted the emergency brake and got an idea. He jumped to his feet, climbed onto a seat, ignoring the other kids’ raising chatter, and opened the emergency casing, but, as he reached out to the brake, one voice stood apart from the rest, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

“Takuto,” Shibusawa said, “If you stop the train now, we won’t make it home in time for Christmas!”

Takuto bit his lip, hand hovering over the brake. It was so close… Just one pull and the train would screech to a halt, allowing him to run outside and retrieve the bell if it was still lying somewhere in the plaza. It wasn’t guaranteed, but at least it gave him a chance, a once-in-a-lifetime chance, as he was sure that he would never get to travel in the Polar Express again or to even be close to one of those magical bells in Santa’s sleigh. The bell was the only physical reminder he would have of this beautiful trip...

But wasn’t it more important to ensure that the other kids would get home safe and sound in time for Christmas? If they got delayed too much, their absence wouldn’t go unnoticed for long. Rumi’s parents would wake up late, confused as to why the house was so quiet on Christmas morning, and they would go into her bedroom only for their hearts to sink when they saw their precious daughter was nowhere to be found. Shibusawa’s siblings would search every corner of the house and make sure he wasn’t hiding in the house, before running out to the street calling his name, crossing their fingers, hoping that Shibusawa would come back soon.

Dozens of families would be worried sick, desperately looking for the children who had disappeared, putting their plans to celebrate the holidays on hold. Takuto would ruin their Christmas if he pulled that brake… All for the sake of his own gift. Wouldn’t that be selfish...?

Takuto sighed and balled his hand into a fist. He began to lower himself slowly, grasping the edges of the seat to climb off it as carefully as he could. The chatter of the crowd died down as the children awkwardly made their way back to their own seats, as some of them gave Takuto pitiful looks, but others avoided him entirely, unsure of how to act around him.

It wasn’t the first time Takuto gave up something he wanted for someone else’s well-being, but it was the first one that would stick in his memory for the years to come.

The only kids that remained by Takuto’s side were Rumi and Shibusawa, but even they were hesitant to approach him. However, he didn’t even look at them either, as he absently kneeled down in the middle of the aisle and wrapped his arms around his knees, wishing he could curl up into a ball and simply disappear. Squeezing his eyes shut, he told himself over and over again that he wasn’t going to cry, that he was going to get over it, that he wasn’t going to cry over a stupid bell in front of all of these other children, but, no matter how hard he tried to drown that feeling of despair, the knot in his throat and the tears in his eyes remained.

He was so focused on trying to squash his raging emotions that he almost didn’t notice when Rumi kneeled down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Takuto…” She said. “I’m so sorry.”

“Nhh…” Takuto whimpered. “It’s just like me to lose Santa-san’s gift...! It’s always like this, I always lose everything!”

“Uh -- it’s okay, just -- stay calm.” Shibusawa awkwardly said, clearly desperate to help though he didn’t know how. “Maybe it’s somewhere around here! We just need to look around!”

“Uh huh, he’s right!” Rumi said, giving Takuto a soft smile. “We’ll help you out. Don’t give up just yet, okay? We won’t stop until we find it.”

“Yeah.” Shibusawa said. “We’ll turn this whole darn train around if it’s necessary. Come on, everyone!”

Before Shibusawa could turn around and start rallying people up, Takuto shut the idea down. “Leave it, guys…” He sighed. “Thanks for the thought, but… I must have left it on Santa-san’s sleigh.”

Rumi and Shibusawa exchanged conflicted glances, but there was truly nothing they could do about the bell, so they settled for helping Takuto to a seat and sitting next to him until his anxiety waned a little. He was breathing in and out slowly, trying to get himself together, when Rumi placed a hand on his back, looking at him questioningly to check if he was okay with the touch. He appreciated the concern, so he gave her a weak smile to let her know he liked her way of comforting him.

She then leaned forward and whispered, “Are you feeling better?”

“I guess…” 

“Is there something we can do for you?” Shibusawa asked.

“No, I just needed the bell.” Takuto said, frowning, before elaborating, “My friends from school don’t believe in Santa, so I was supposed to show them the bell to prove his existence. How will I prove it to them now?”

Shibusawa huffed, crafting a smile. “Dude, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Santa-san chose you.”

“Uh huh, that’s right!” Rumi nodded. “You know what you saw, right? And we were there too.” She gestured around, towards the rest of the passengers. “See, this train is filled with people who believe! So you don’t have to worry about having to convince your friends, okay? You have us.”

Of course she was right, she was absolutely right. All was good as long as he himself believed, because, as long as so much as one person believed, the magic of Christmas would live on in spite of every obstacle in its way. Even if the sceptics scoffed at him, made fun of him, or tried to push him to abandon his beliefs, Takuto couldn’t budge, because he knew that his heart was in the right place. He knew he was, as Rumi had put it, the chosen one, so it was his responsibility to keep preaching his beliefs, but, of course, he wasn’t alone in his mission. He had his new friends to support him. They would always have his back… even if they weren’t physically next to him.

“You’re right.” Takuto said. “I can’t let them walk all over me.”

“You said it!” Shibusawa said, palming him on the back. “If they punch down, you punch up. That’s how it works.”

“Uh huh, what he said.” Rumi agreed, speaking with such confidence that it was almost a bit scary. “If anyone makes fun of you for believing, go and kick their butts for us.”

“Yeah. Like this!” Shibusawa imitated karate chops as well as he could in the limited space he had. “Wah-tah! Hi-yah!”

Takuto giggled at the display. “Thank you. You guys are the best.”

Takuto tried to kick back and enjoy the rest of the trip as much as possible, but the train soon began to drop the children off one by one, stopping at each of their houses, and the process felt a lot less time-consuming than it did when the train was picking them up. Each stop was a stark reminder that this journey wouldn’t last forever for Takuto and his friends either, and he began dreading the moment when he would see his own house looming in the horizon.

However, before that happened, Rumi looked out the window and her expression fell with a sigh.

“That’s my house.” She said, “I guess I should go…”

“Oh.” Takuto paused. “Right. Of course.”

He and Shibusawa accompanied Rumi to the exit, where the conductor was waiting to see her off. The man stood there silently, nodding at them to let them know that he would allow him to have a moment to say their goodbyes.

“Well…” Rumi said. “It was fun while it lasted.”

“You were half of the fun, though.” Shibusawa said, as he shook her hand. “We’re gonna miss you.”

“Don’t.” She smirked and glanced at the writing on her arm. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, you know.”

As Rumi turned to Takuto, he wordlessly extended his hand towards her, keeping his other hand in his pocket and his eyes fixed on the ground. A part of him was resentful that this train had given him such wonderful friends only to rip them away after a single night, but he held his breath and told himself that it was better to let them go than to never have met them at all.

However, Rumi pulled him into a hug. A surprised squeak escaped him as she squeezed him tight, her hands splayed over his back like this was the last hug she would get from anyone ever. Takuto was stunned, but he liked the touch, the hug felt soft and warm, if desperate, and he eventually relaxed into it, shyly wrapping his arms around Rumi as well. In response, she only kept holding him for longer than a normal friendly hug would last, so he gently nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. But he wasn’t going to cry. He wasn’t going to cry over saying goodbye to someone he had only known for a few hours, much less if that meant that Rumi’s last memory of him would be one of him crying. He wanted her to leave on a good note... For her sake if not for his own.

“We’ll see each other again…” He muttered. “Right...?”

Rumi abruptly pulled away, but she grasped Takuto’s hand, before motioning toward Shibusawa with a determined look on her face.

“You too, give me your hand.” She said.

Then, with a nod of her head, she ordered him to grab Takuto’s hand too. Once they were standing in a circle, or something that was more of a triangle, really, she squeezed both of their hands, looked up at the ceiling, and closed her eyes.

“We’ll meet again.” She said. “We’ll meet again. I  _ know _ we’ll meet again. We just have to believe.”

Takuto raised his brows. “What?”

Rumi turned her head towards him, her eyes widening. “If we believe in it hard enough, then it might come true. That’s what you told Santa-san, right?”

“Uh… yeah, pretty much.” Takuto nodded.

“Well, then I believe.” Shibusawa said. “We  _ will _ meet again, I can feel it.”

“Yeah.” Takuto said. “We will meet again.”

“Okay!” Rumi chirped, suddenly letting go of their hands. “It’s a promise then!”

Takuto smiled. “Sure.”

She quickly stepped down from the train, but looked back once she was on the ground. “Don’t forget!”

“I won’t.” Takuto said.

She flashed him one of her sweetest smiles, before she turned around and ran over the snow, headed towards her house. Meanwhile, Shibusawa waved after her. “Merry Christmas!”

Takuto had entirely forgotten about that, so that served as a wake-up call for him to cup his hands around his mouth and shout, “Merry Christmas, Rumi!”

“Merry Christmas, both of you!” She said, standing on the porch. “And happy holidays!”

She stood there at the doorway, waving at the train until she was out of Takuto’s sight. The boy’s heart was heavy, but something told him that this wouldn’t be the last he would see of Rumi... Years later, he would be pleased to discover his intuition was right, but, for now, all he could do was smile, wave, and believe.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, I realize I could’ve written this about Akiren, Ryuji, and Ann, or about the Royal trio, with Maruki as the conductor, but… these three… they deserve some appreciation… :(
> 
> This was really rushed at the end, but I hope it was still enjoyable. Watching The Polar Express on Christmas is tradition for my family, but the movie is very flawed, so I wanted to rewrite it and make some amends. The fic still ended up being WAY more lengthy than intended, but I hope I managed to contribute something to the story with this, even if just a tiny detail.
> 
> As always, please do let me know your thoughts! Happy holidays!
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://denizen-of-dreamland.tumblr.com)


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